Bill Text: NY A09835 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Requires that there be a one hundred foot buffer zone around abortion clinics to avoid harassment of patients.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-22 - print number 9835a [A09835 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09835-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         9835--A

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     April 11, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. SEPTIMO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted
          as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the public health law,  in  relation  to  requiring  one
          hundred foot buffer zones around abortion clinics

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding  a  new  section
     2  2599-bbb to read as follows:
     3    §  2599-bbb.  Buffer zones. 1. Every reproductive health care facility
     4  offering abortion care shall maintain a one  hundred  foot  buffer  zone
     5  around any entrance to such clinic to allow patients to enter such clin-
     6  ics without harassment.
     7    2. For the purposes of this section, "harassment" shall mean:
     8    (a)  To  knowingly  physically  obstruct  or block another person from
     9  entering into or exiting from the premises of a reproductive health care
    10  facility by physically  striking,  shoving,  restraining,  grabbing,  or
    11  otherwise  subjecting a person to unwanted physical contact, or attempt-
    12  ing to do the same;
    13    (b) To knowingly obstruct or block  the  premises  of  a  reproductive
    14  health care facility, so as to impede access to or from the facility, or
    15  to attempt to do the same;
    16    (c)  To  follow another person within one hundred feet of the premises
    17  of a reproductive health care facility;
    18    (d) To engage in a course of conduct or repeatedly commit acts  within
    19  one  hundred feet of the premises of a reproductive health care facility
    20  when such behavior places another person in reasonable fear of  physical
    21  harm, or to attempt to do the same;
    22    (e)  To physically damage a reproductive health care facility so as to
    23  interfere with its operation, or to attempt to do the same; or
    24    (f) To knowingly interfere with the operation of a reproductive health
    25  care facility, or to attempt to do the same, by activities that include,
    26  but are not limited to, interfering with,  or  attempting  to  interfere

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14440-03-4
        A. 9835--A                          2

     1  with (i) medical procedures being performed at such facility or (ii) the
     2  delivery of goods to such facility.
     3    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.